So, which adventure in the AD&D Giants series did you think was the best one? I suspect which one will be the winner, but I'm prepared to be surprised.
I've been fond of Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl.
Quote from: Willie the Duck;1004715I've been fond of Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl.
For me it has always been G1. I like the "feel" of it, the layout of the map and the main baddies. Of the three this one is the most stand alone and could dropped in any fantasy campaign setting. I have never run a prepared/commercial module, but if I ever do it will be either this one or Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan.
Shemek
Hall of the Fire Giant King is my favourite.
Three-way tie so far.
I've run all 3 a bunch of times, using a variety of systems. I'd say G2 is the best as a module. G1 has too few ways in and out and puts the players at close quarters with a big mob of giants, meaning either you are tough enough to beat them or not, but can't realistically do something besides fight them). Also, the dungeon beneath the steading is a let down. That said, G1 was the first gaming product of any kind I ever bought (I didn't even know what it was, I just saw it in FAO Schwartz and thought it looked cool!). And it is very atmospheric. A classic. G3 is a closer contender, and I've used its maps a trillion times for different purposes and different games. That said, it feels a bit linear as well until you've cleared out the main mob. The dungeon is much more interesting than in G1, but the heart of the issue is, can I get in the front door and kill the main guys on the ground floor or not? It's a cool module, but it lacks the freedom to operate that marks really excellent adventure locations. G2 is just a very cool environment for a party to approach. They have many choices as to how they start and where they go; there is enough space that you can plausibly commando around without immediately getting into the module's major fight. In my experience, it is just a really well laid out and balanced dungeon.
G1 has the best single fight (the great hall is a defining moment), but G2 is the most fun to explore.
G2 looks best, but it's the one I've not run. I ran G1 and G3 and the PCs left after killing the chief & the king, which happens very fast.
G2 is cool because the PCs can die just by slipping off the glacier before they even meet any monsters. It's also cool because area affecting fire spells like wall of fire and fireball can cause fog and/or destroy valuable treasure, so the tactic of blasting a room full of giants (like in G1) isn't going to work. I never DMed G2 but I played it twice and it was a blast. I remember the "Ah shit!" moment when we realized how much loot we had burned up. We made up for it by collecting the hides from many of the monsters and still made a fortune. My mage and the party's thief ended up with subdued white dragons as mounts for a while, too. Not all treasure is gold and magic.
I'm not changing my vote, but a fair counter point is that the G2 map is actually topologically pretty simple - a fair amount of it is just an entrance and a room, or a couple of rooms on a looping hallway that doesn't go anywhere. Layouts like that mean the players aren't making as many decisions or problem solving as much; it is more like, 'encounter...walk...encounter...'. Actually, all 3 of the G series modules have maps that are on the simpler side. The fact that G1's upper floor has the layout of a big house makes it a bit different in an interesting way. G3 has 3 levels and is the greatest in complexity, but really all of them are the sort of thing you can empty in ~1-3 nights of play.
I would probably go with G2 as icy terrain offers a lot of potential for the sort of cinematic combat I've come to prefer but I have a soft spot for G1 because it's the first.
I would love to run G3 one day where the PCs enter from the Underdark and the challenge is to get out.
Quote from: Pat;1004979G1 has the best single fight (the great hall is a defining moment), but G2 is the most fun to explore.
I ran G1 in 4E and I basically reduced it to a single grand melee in the great hall, although that's because of what the characters did to get there. I've run it before in 2E (and maybe 1E) and I actually enjoyed the grand melee more than the adventure as otherwise written.
I've gotten the most use out of G1. I've even used it in Gamma World.
Quote from: Scrivener of Doom;1005099I ran G1 in 4E and I basically reduced it to a single grand melee in the great hall, although that's because of what the characters did to get there. I've run it before in 2E (and maybe 1E) and I actually enjoyed the grand melee more than the adventure as otherwise written.
The whole point of G1 is that melee. It's right there, just inside the gate, exactly where it's expected. Do you charge in, circle around, spy, investigate other rooms, delve into the dungeon, coerce some allies? Do you form a wall, break up the groups, hit them from above? How you handle that is what defines the module.
G1 is certainly iconic, and I love the idea of a giant log cabin. G3, though, has a lot going for it: just when the giants are ramped up to 11, you get Eclavdra and her cronies, as well as the opening to the whole underworld.
Quote from: darthfozzywig;1005155G1 is certainly iconic, and I love the idea of a giant log cabin. G3, though, has a lot going for it: just when the giants are ramped up to 11, you get Eclavdra and her cronies, as well as the opening to the whole underworld.
O.k., that's fair.
Quote from: RPGPundit;1004700So, which adventure in the AD&D Giants series did you think was the best one? I suspect which one will be the winner, but I'm prepared to be surprised.
Hands down it's G2. Best multi-elevation Jacque-like map, so many options. Even better if you put the dragon in the rift.
G1- I've had the most fun with it over the years and some memorable fights from campaigns to one-offs.
Same with G3 to a degree and while I want to like it more some of the ecology issues and wacky layout weirdness of it keeps it behind G1 for me.
Yes, for me it's G1.
G3 for me, then G1, then G2.
Allan.